You are in ruins
by xxx-angelin-xxx
Summary: In every war there are those who are bruised, and there are those who are scarred. The good thing about bruises is that eventually they go away. A series of drabbles for the day after the Final Battle: Draco, Narcissa, Lucius, Molly, Harry, Andromeda.


**You are in ruins**

.

In every war there are those who win, and there are those who lose. There are those who are right, and those who are wrong. There are those who fight to protect what they love, and those who fight to conquer. There's an _us_, and there is a _them. _Two sides; the good ones and the bad ones.

How true is that now?

On the aftermath of the final battle, when the sun has risen over the ruins that were once the Hogwarts Walls, every side is wounded and there are still questions that remained unanswered, problems unsolved.

Everyone has something- or someone- to mourn for. People; mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters. And then there are more to cry for, more than human lives…

The people around here don't scream anymore. In the daylight you can see the tears dry on their cheeks as they look around themselves like caged animals. Some have lost their beliefs. Others lost their glory. And some lost their lives- though they are not dead yet.

On the aftermath of the final battle, on the aftermath of the war, a day after everything is over, there's only pain. Broken hearts, broken men and women. On every side.

.

-:-T h e m-:-

_nothing's ever built to last_

They never thought they would lose. They never believed they _could _lose. The possibility never crossed their minds. Why would it after all? Who had ever believed that Harry Potter would manage to defeat the Dark Lord? Who could ever think that a boy of seventeen would manage to defeat a man who had died and returned from the dead?

They should have known. That's what had happened the previous time, after all. But back then, they had always had hope and had expected him to return. And they weren't all known. This time they were so close to winning that no one ever thought of securing their name, money and position. This time they were all going down.

They should have known.

.

-:-Draco Malfoy-:-

_when you can't get another try_

They say he is a coward. They say he is a liar, a traitor. He's not sure about those. Maybe he is, maybe he's not. His words don't matter anymore.

At the moment he's just afraid. He knows he has a long and hard way in front of him. No money, no glory, no power, no fame. Trials and nasty looks. That's what he expects. That's what he will get.

If he could turn time, would he do things differently? Would he make a different choice? And was there a choice at all for him?

Unfortunately, he'll never find out. He just wishes he took his lesson.

.

-:- Molly Weasley-:-

_the last of every tear we are going to cry_

Fred Weasley's body is carefully placed among the others. The shadow of his last crooked smile still appears on his face.

She's there, watching him, looking at her boy. Her boy who will never laugh again. From today she need not worry about confusing one twin for the other or about about their pranks and jokes. But somehow, for some crazy reasons- that's exactly what she will miss most.

Last night, Molly Weasley became a killer. But it doesn't matter- she doesn't even think about it. She only knows that she saved lives by doing that. She doesn't remember her killing curse. Only Bellatrix's cruel laugh while torturing people.

.

-:-Narcissa Malfoy-:-

_what I cannot be_

She just lost another sister. She almost lost a son. She will soon lose everything that had mattered so far.

She wishes she was stronger. Like Bellatrix. She wishes she was fire, ready to die for her beliefs, for her Lord and be happy with it. But she's not. She couldn't die. She has a husband and a family and every pureblood woman knows that family comes first.

She wishes she was a fighter. Like Andromeda. Ready to do what it takes for those she loves, even if she has to leave much behind. But she cannot- she _has_ to follow the rules- she always did.

She's just Narcissa. And no matter how badly she wants to have been different all she had managed was to have saved Harry Potter's life. She can't but hope he'll return the favor.

.

-:-Andromeda Black-:-

_I think I'm moving but I go nowhere_

They owled her last night. Said her daughter had passed away.

And here she is, holding a baby in her arms, terrified and broken by war once again. Her side had won but she had lost more than what this victory would bring her.

A daughter who she loved more than life. A husband for whom she left everything behind. A sister who once loved her. A family.

Now, she's lost. Andromeda Tonks, however, will never give up. She wasn't made to. After all, there's Teddy. And this baby is her hope and her strength.

.

-:-Lucius Malfoy-:-

_for the life I lead_

He's a mystery to everyone. The man who always wanted power and money. And the Dark Lord was giving him ways to earn more of both.

But now comes his downfall; he has lost everything for good.

Yet he seems relieved. Surprising for a man who- most possibly- will spend the rest of his life in Azkaban.

The Dark Lord's favor was gone long ago. His downfall had begun before the one of his Lord. This war was a failure for Lucius Malfoy, and this made him realize that, no matter how much he actually agreed with the Death Eaters' philosophy, their ways were dangerous for him and his family.

He may not have saved his soul or his name, but maybe there's still a chance for his son.

.

-:-Harry Potter-:-

_time to live and let die_

He cannot recall last night's events with ease. All he has in mind are the men and women who died for them to be free today- for him to win.

Dumbledore, his parents, Sirius… Snape. Fred, Creevy, Tonks and Lupin… Mad Eye... And so many more.

There isn't much he can say. There isn't much he wants to do. Not today at least.

Today he has to realize that from now on, his scar won't hurt. From now on- all will be well.

.

-:-U s-:-

_you are at the end of the road_

We never allowed ourselves hope too badly for victory. We knew we had to win. We had no idea how and when.

And now, we can only mourn our dead and pray for better days. They will come. We can now hope.

.

Truth is, in every war there are those who are bruised, and there are those who are scarred. The good thing about bruises is that eventually they go away.

* * *

Written for **Rozzy0**'s **The Day After the Final Battle Competition**. Credit to her for the awesome competition idea;)

Lyrics (in italics) from **21 Guns **(by Green Day) and **Stop and Stare **(by One Republic).

Beta read by **RoseScor90**- who always helps me a lot!


End file.
